USA GM, Ford Close Corporate Flight Departments

I do not know if it has or will, but I have a friend who works there. He said as of yesterday GM and Ford have closed down there flight departments completely.

I know most of you buy into the movie style glamour of corporate aviation. That is few and far between. MOst corporations run pretty sound flight departments. In todays world, the security and efficientcy of corporate aviation is unmatched.

Of course this is nothing more then a PR stunt. Closing the doors to their flight department and the loss of over 200+ jobs will not save their company.

And as you know Pug they will still fly. If they can't go commerical they will contract with netjets or someone similar for their corporate aviation needs. It will save some cash of course but the way they are hemmoraging now it's like tying off a small feeder artery when the company has a ruptured aorta. If you have the cash it's a good time to buy a small jet right now. The prices are really going to start to crash.

They are chartering for now. It is believed they will go NetJets, but it will actually cost them more unless they curtail company travel.

You cannot buy a corporate aircraft right now. Gulfstream's next slated delivery is not until 2016. Cessna and Dassault is around 2012 for most of their products.

The sour economy has caused the airlines to cut routes and frequencies, which has caused corporate jet travel to increase. This is the opposite of what you might think would happen. The NBAA fleet statistics keep on climbing.

Corp travellers STILL NEED TO TRAVEL, and it is SO much more efficient and effective (not to mention a better use of the travelling person's time) to fly when YOU are ready and not when some commercial schedule says you will.

It is EXACTLY analogous to driving or taking the city bus. Would you rather drive for a half hour each way or ride a bus for one and a half hours each way???